I have found motels that are even less-expensive as you go further east along the old New York, New Haven, and Hartford line (now MTA-North) than in Stamford. Stamford is located fairly close to La Guardia Airport and has access to express, as well as local, commuter rail. The Super 8 there is fairly inexpensive too. I'm sure that you could find less-expensive lodging in both Bridgeport and New Haven with access to the train too, though with distance comes extra rail cost involved too. Port Chester, NY is also on the same commuter rail line and has several higher-end hotels there too. Port Chester is even closer to Grand Central Station and La Guardia Airport than Stamford is, so there may be a relationship between distance and cost in play there too. I just looked at Stamford because that is where my experience is. I lived in nearby Greenwich, CT when I was a kid for a few years.

Thank you Mark for the information. How close is Milford to the train station? We have relatives that live there, and probably could stay with them.

About how much was the last conference's registration fee? Is there a certain price for members, and a certain one for partners who are not members?

Look forward to the response.

J.R.

_________________________
Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired and success achieved. -Helen Keller

There is a station in Milford, CT on the New Haven branch of the MTA-North Red line. A one way trip to Grand Central Station takes about 90 minutes from Milford. The fare is divided into peak or off-peak rates on weekdays. Weekends are all off-peak prices. Off peak from Milford runs $25 roundtrip if you buy your ticket at the station in Milford, or $33 at peak times. You can also buy a split one way peak, the other way non-peak ticket for $29 from Milford.

For you other guys hoping to save a few bucks, the MTA-Northmap shows all of their destinations. Plus there is the LongIsland Railroad and the Port Authority Hudson (PATH) raillines to New Jersey, Amtrak into Penn Station, and all of theNYC subway and elevated routes too.

Here is another exciting map for those of you heading to the Big Apple.

All this train/bus stuff is gibberish to my ears. I live in the country, and have never even seen a train, never mind try to figure out how to ride one!

Hopefully I can figure it out when the time come, as long as the price of the conference isn't too expensive.

J.R.

_________________________
Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired and success achieved. -Helen Keller

Almost nobody except the very wealthy drive a car to Manhattan. Daily parking rates are just way too expensive. A single parking space weekdays in midtown Manhattan can run $40-$50 per day, when a space is available, as most parking spaces are sold on a monthly basis. Space is at such a premium that parking garages often have automobile elevators rather than ramps. When using one of those garages it is a lot like valet parking, where they take your car and expect a tip later. When we lived in Greenwich in the 1960s and 1970s, most everyone who commuted to Manhattan on weekdays rode the train and the Subway to get to work there.

Why don't you try to hook-up with one of the guys who will be staying in Stamford or Port Chester? You could ride down on the train and meet them, then go together from there to Grand Central and on to John Jay College. Midtown Manhattan is a very busy and very crowded place.

Riding a train is a lot like riding a bus, except it is a bit louder inside the train. Some trains have lounge cars and Amtrak often runs dining cars, lounge cars, and sleeper cars in addition to coach and business class cars. You get to the train station and buy your ticket then wait for the train to show up. Once you get on a conductor will take your ticket, though there may be some newer electronic method of ticket-taking these days too. On most trains you can walk between the cars as the train is moving. Most longer-route commuter trains and Amtrak also have restroom facilities onboard too.

Grand Central Station and riding the subways might be a tough place for a beginner. On the subway you have to buy a subway "token" which is a coin, and either ask for a bus transfer or get one from a machine. The token will admit you through a turnstile. Then it is down the escalator and onto the train platform to wait for the train to show up. The subway routes are both numbered and color-coded. Make sure that you don't get on the wrong train, as there may be more than one route using the same platform. The engineer will call stops out on the train's PA system, and the stations along the line will also have lighted signs with the name of the station that you can read from the train. If you are also riding a bus you will have to give the bus driver your transfer ticket or pay again if you don't have a transfer. If you ride a city bus, the route and route number will be displayed above the windshield and sometimes on the side by the front door too. If you want to get off the bus there is either a cord that you have to pull or a button that you have to push usually above the windows to alert the driver that you want to get-off.

Welcome to the big city, what can we do you out of? Just be careful, stay in well-traveled areas, and try to go with someone else, and you should be fine. Don't flash too much cash, and perhaps put your wallet in your front pocket too. Carry some extra cash in a pocket just in case. Be wary of and try to avoid people who want to help guide you or give you directions for a financial consideration. Just be aware of your surroundings.

Hope that you enjoy your trip to the big city and hope that you find the conference beneficial.

Sorry Mark, but it has been a few years since you have been on the subway. Tokens have gone the way of silver dimes and quarters. Now there is a MetroCard that you can buy from vending machines at the station.

_________________________
Ken Followell

Everything works out right in the end. If things are not working right, it isn't the end yet. Don't let it bother you, relax and keep on goin- Michael C. Muhammad

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